Dance with me
by Lasaraleena
Summary: They told us it was wrong. And I was trying to stay away, I really was. But it's not my fault when they PAIR us together for the Tango. How's anyone supposed to resist THAT? One-shot. JamesIIRose. If you don't like cousins together then don't read. If you love this couple like I do, then read and review please :) Enjoy


"So ridiculous."

"Hey! I'm not that bad."

"If you step on my foot one more time, so help me Merlin, I will – "

"Keep your knickers on Rose, I'll figure this out."

"You'd better James Sirius!"

He retaliated by gripping her waist tighter and taking her into a series of quick turns about the room until they were on the edge of all the bumbling students.

She laughed despite herself.

"Well that was certainly impressive." She did the required heel-toe combo then three step shuffle into the backwards leg lunge and held her head at the elegant angle that was required of the female. James followed.

"Why thank you dearest cousin. I do aim to please." He grinned down at her and winked, and consequently missed the underhand turn he was supposed to lead her into and successfully crashed them into Louis and Alice.

"James!" Louis grumbled as he held onto Alice more tightly to prevent her tumbling headlong into the next couple in line.

"Short lived. As usual." Rose smirked.

"Sorry, sorry." James groused as he untangled Rose from her position between Louis and himself and attempted to bring them back into proper hold.

"Will you stop making goo goo eyes at your cousin and learn the damned dance properly."

"Alice!" Rose's cheeks were bright red her hands stiff on James' shoulder and in his own somewhat rigid hand.

This was always happening. Everyone always thought her and James were flirting with each other. But they weren't. They were cousins for Merlin's sake. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why all their friends and even their family thought there was something going on between them. Well she'd heard why, but she didn't agree.

Her flush got even more pronounced as she thought back to the mortifying day Lily and Al had sat her down and explained to her their many "reasons" for suspecting something more than platonic between her and their elder brother.

'_Guys this is ridiculous, there's nothing going on between me and James.' Rose huffed as Al pushed her forcefully into the armchair facing the couch Lily was already seated on. _

'_This is for your own good Rosie.' Lily said soberly. _

'_Now, Item 1: You-' _

'_Hang on, hang on, this is going to be a LIST?' Rose burst out of her chair with both hands held up. _

'_Sit down Rose and just listen.' She was once again pushed into the chair with a more jarring impact on her poor bottom this time._

'_I'll start again,' Lily glared at Rose to make sure she realized that they'd be here all night if she kept interrupting._

'_Now, Item 1: You walk into any room and immediately look for James first before you smile and then look around to see who else is there.'_

'_Oh for the love of-'_

'_ITEM 2: Your hugs to James last longer than to any of the rest of the family. For that matter, you don't even hug Albus or Dominique or Fred at all. But with James you wrap your arms around him and stick your head underneath his chin and I swear Rose it's like you breathe him in.'_

No need to tell you that her face was fire engine red by now.

'_Item 3: which is related to item 2, James always kisses the top of your head during every hug and you close your eyes when he does and smile like a seeker who just spotted the snitch.'_

'_Item 4: ...'_

And it went on and on and on.

_James teases Rose about her red hair and never says a word about the other million Weasley red heads running around. Rose pokes James in the side and then trails her fingers along his ribs in her imitation of "tickling". James will throw a hissy fit if any boy hits on Rose and threaten to beat him if he comes within 10 feet of her ever again (he doesn't do the same for Lily-who's actually his sister). Rose will criticize any girl seen batting her eyes at James and will silently hex the ones who dare to touch him. James and Rose will hold hands at any opportunity possible. They owl every other day they are apart on summer or Christmas Holidays and the letters aren't short by any means. Lily only gets one owl from Rose if she's lucky and Albus has only ever gotten one birthday card and present from Rose the year she had been in France with her parents. _

_Rose wanted to tune them out, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the paper full of "evidence" against her and James. And it was clearly not all her doing. He was just as guilty. So why was she the only one getting shit for it?_

'_This has to stop Rose. You know it's not ... proper for you two to do this.' Al was saying gently. _

'_Why are you only telling me this? It takes two to tango.' She spit out bitterly._

'_James hexed us when we tried to tell him. So we have to tell you. You're the more reasonable one. Just stay away from him and he'll have no choice but to follow suit.'_

It's been 2 months since then. And Rose had been doing pretty well. She'd avoided seeing James in the common room, the library, and managed to be surrounded by friends and the rest of their extensive family during all meal times. She could tell he'd been confused and hurt by her distance, but Al and Lily were right. He did follow her direction.

They were pretty much strangers now. And she was all ready to tell her cousins to stuff it and that they were just normal cousins when this happened. This being the Yule Ball. And Rose and James SOMEHOW being paired up together to learn the traditional dances for the start of the ball.

Thank Merlin it was only a loose hold foxtrot. She couldn't handle anything more intimate and maintain her distance from James. That was why she'd been antagonizing him with insults on his dance skills. Anything to keep them from falling into their natural habits and ending up looking _un_-platonic like everyone thought. _Natural habits?_ No, she meant _un_natural. Abnormal.

Alice and Louis moved on down the line of dancers while her and James stood rigidly in place. Sneaking up a peak at his face she could see he was frowning.

"Rose." She immediately stared at her shoes.

"Rose look at me." He wasn't going to wait for her to obey, he had her chin firmly in his fingertips and pulling her face up with his last word. Her blue eyes met his brown ones with barely enough time for her to brace herself. Her heart skipped a beat.

_Shit. PLATONIC. Think Platonic. _

"What's going on Rose?" His voice was soft and his hand was warm on her back and his eyes were pouring over her features trying to understand. Whoa. How'd she become so wrapped up in him? When had his arm come around her waist like that? She was tucked snuggly into his body and she could feel her head get heavier, wanting to lean into him more and fit herself under his chin.

_OMG Al and Lily were right. We do act like a bloody couple._

She jerked out of his hold and shivers immediately engulfed her body. It was so bloody cold in here.

"Stop. James stop. Don't do that anymore." Her voice was shaky. Could he hear it?

"Do what? What did I do wrong?" He paused and she could see the pained expression on his face. She did this to him. And it hurt her as well. "Why are you running from me?"

Tearing up she blurted out, "Because we shouldn't do this anymore alright."

"Do what?" His brows were knit together. He genuinely didn't think anything was wrong with them.

"Act like a –," She hesitated. She didn't want to say this. Her cousins said he tried to hex them when they brought it up. What if he hexed her?

"Like a what Rose? Tell me." He'd been coming closer with every word and was once again towering over her so she was staring up at him. He was so compelling. How could she keep anything from him? He was her best friend. Or was.

"Li-like a couple."

She saw his eyes widen. She'd shocked him.

"Rose, James. What are you two doing? We're about to start the tango." Professor Sinistra shoved us together and back in line next to Albus and Ellie Zabini.

Al was torn between glaring at the two of us and giving adoring looks to Ellie.

Everyone was already in hold waiting for the instructor to show us the first few steps. And man, it looked like this was a hold that would end up killing them.

She didn't dare look up at James but could feel his arm wrap around her shoulder blades under her arm and press her upper body into his chest. She wasn't breathing. She couldn't breathe as her breasts came into contact with the heat of him. Any movement now would have her rubbing up against that hard male muscle and for the first time in Rose's 16 years, she felt like that was something she desired.

She mechanically placed her hand around his shoulder and tucked her thumb under his arm like the instructor was demonstrating. He snorted and inhaled really quickly and she could only just barely keep from bursting out in laughter as well.

He was ticklish there. She knew. Her eyes flicked up to meet his and found them sparkling. His mouth was pressed together in a firm line to prevent him from laughing.

This was amazing. She didn't think anything could break the tension between them, but all it took was a Tango hold position.

_Maybe we can just forget all about our stupid conversation and go back to being normal friends. _

Her wishful thinking came to an abrupt end when James took the first step right in between her legs. Their inner thighs rubbed together and any thoughts of laughing flew out of her mind and his.

She tried not to gasp but couldn't stop the shudder from running through her entire body.

"Something ... wrong Rose?" The tosser was enjoying this. He had on a smirk the size of a quaffle.

"James what the hell are you doing?" Didn't he realize what everyone thought of them? Was he purposely trying to rile up their family?

"What am _I_ doing? I'm doing the Tango. What are _you_ doing?" He threw back at her. His brown eyes were boring into her. She was confused. What's he trying to say here?

_Maybe he doesn't care what our family thinks._

_Really? But we're cousins. Even if he doesn't care what they think, isn't it wrong? _

_Since when is love wrong?_

_LOVE?! I don't love James. Except as a cousin._

_What if he loves you?_

_... Then I'll let him down gently._

_You're so full of shit. _

Rose shook her head free of these ridiculous thoughts. James wasn't in love with her anyways. He was just having a laugh.

"Please James. Try to behave yourself. Everyone is watching us."

"And what would you do if they – weren't watching us." He spun her around expertly (when did he learn to do this) and pulled her back against him, his hand splayed against her belly and causing huge fluttering pixies to wreck havoc on her system.

She inhaled deeply and dropped her head back against his chest. Rose immediately felt him squeeze her tighter and his head dropped to the junction of her neck and shoulder.

His breath was hot, so hot.

"James." She whispered. "Please."

"Please what?" As he spoke she could feel his lips move against the smooth column of her neck.

She gasped. Rose's eyes fluttered shut and she clenched her legs together as a she felt electric wires shoot straight from her core throughout her body.

This was ... oh so sinfully good.

_No. NO! Snap out of it. _

Rose turned suddenly in his embrace and glared at her older cousin. How dare he make her look like a wanton fool? Well, it does take two to Tango. We'll just see who the fool here is.

Taking hold of his hands for support, Rose quickly dropped to a squat with her right leg out to the side and as she came up, slow as molasses, she ran the toe of her shoe up the side of James' left leg, past his thigh, to his waist, along his ribs and started back down again.

Her eyes were locked on his the whole agonizing ten seconds and she could see how they blazed back at her. His mouth was hard. His grip on her hands was tightening.

_Uh oh. Maybe I shouldn't have done that._

The moment she had the thought he was pulling hard on her hands and with her leg only at mid-thigh on its way back down, Rose wasn't in any position to stop her momentum going forward. Her core, exposed by her raised leg, came into direct contact with the hard heat of his crotch. One of his hands came immediately to the small of her back to keep her anchored against him.

She could hear the growl he emitted as he ground her against his arousal.

_Oh sweet Merlin. _

Her right leg was wrapped around his waist. One of her hands was entwined with his while the other was somewhere in his hair. What was she doing?

They had stopped moving. Stopped pretending to dance. She wasn't even aware of any of the other students in the room or where their instructor and Professor Sinistra were. It didn't matter.

"James, James." Rose wasn't quite capable of coherent words. His name was all she could manage at the moment.

"Listen here Rose. I don't give a flying fuck what anyone thinks about us. Not my friends, not our family, not the whole of the wizarding world." His cheek was pressed to hers and he was whispering frantically but firmly into her ear. "I want you. You hear? I _want_ you Rose and I'm going to have you. The only thing that will stop me now is if you don't want me back. And I mean genuinely don't want me back. Because judging by the heat of your sweet pussy against me, you do. You do, honey."

He pulled back just the slightest bit and stared into her eyes. His were storming, and she could tell that hers probably were too. She inhaled a shaky breath and got assaulted by the heady scent of him.

"James, I – we – but we're cousins James. Isn't this –"

"Don't you dare say it's wrong. This can never be wrong. I love you Rose. I've always loved you. This is legal Rose. In England it's legal. And if the Wizarding world frowns down on us, then we'll go to the muggle world. If you don't want me because of me then say so. But I'm not going to live like the past two months anymore Rose. I won't watch you hide from me and run away trying to avoid your feelings. And mine. Either you don't want me and we'll remain cousins and friends, or you do. Either way, I won't stay away from you. Not again. Not ever again."

He didn't give her a chance to reply before he was claiming her mouth with his. Hot, firey, twin brands against her lips and she was lost. She moaned into his mouth and raked her nails through his hair.

"Oh, God Rose." His words were strangled and rushed and he returned his mouth to hers with even more pressure. His tongue traced her lips in silent question and she answered. Her first taste of him, his first taste of her. Ambrosia. Addicting. More, she wanted more.

"Alright! That's enough! Step apart NOW!"

They came up for air as though emerging from a fog. Professor Sinistra was glaring down at the two of them with her arms crossed. Rose's glazed eyes took in her arithmancy professor's stance and slowly looked beyond her angry face to the shocked students beyond. And the pained faces of Lily and Albus.

"Explain yourselves this instant. This is a traditional dance lesson for the Yule ball, an honored tradition. Not some dirty dancing nightclub."

Rose gulped. She was sure to lose her prefect badge over this.

"Well you see, professor, um – the thing is... uh"

"The thing is professor, if you wanted it to be a respectable honored tradition, you shouldn't have made us do the tango. If you asked me, this intimate dance was just baiting us with temptation. We were only demonstrating what could happen if you have a bunch of horny teenagers doing the Tango during the Yule Ball. Better you know that now than on the night of, in front of all the students from Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons, and their Headmasters." James finished his eloquent speech with a slow shake of the head. Rose gaped at him.

Professor Sinistra looked confused.

The other students looked around sheepishly. They had all been thinking the same thing but didn't dare complain about the Tango.

"Does ... everyone feel this way?" The Professor looked around at everyone else in the room and saw lots of them staring at their shoes and shuffling their feet. That was answer enough.

"Well then. Thank you James, Rose. However, honorable as your intentions may seem, – I think – you should not have demonstrated quite so ... lavishly. You both have detention tonight. My office, 6 pm. Everyone dismissed. Go back to your common rooms." With that, Professor Sinistra swept through the crowd and out the door of the classroom.

Rose exhaled the breath she'd been holding. All they had was detention. But still.

"What the hell were you doing? You almost gave me a heartattack. How could you use the words HORNY TEENAGERS around a professor like that?"

"Hey you should be thanking me. She was about ready to expel us if it weren't for my brilliant idea."

"Your brilliant idea landed us in detention."

"Better than on the train home. And not just to celebrate the holidays this time."

"James Sirius Potter!"

"Rose Dewitt Bukater!"

She couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. James always knew how to get her out of a funk. And yelling out the name of her favorite muggle movie 'Titanic's' Heroine never failed to rupture the bubble of her anger. Man she loved him.

And that was it. She knew it in her heart. She did love him. Who else could get her out of her moods no matter what had happened? Who else could fill her heart with such happiness just to look at them? Who else could get her this hot and bothered during a TANGO for Merlin's sake?

She loved him. And she was done denying it.

Rose smiled up at James.

"Come on Jack, let's leave this sinking ship." They held hands and started making their way to the exit.

"Now hold on a minute here. You think you two are just going to walk away with a detention and that's it? What did you think you were doing Rose, we thought we warned you about this." Albus was breathing heavily and Lily had on an ugly scowl. Louis was standing uncomfortable behind them and trying to look like he wasn't there. The rest of their family had beat a hasty retreat out the door as soon as they had been dismissed.

"Yeah. You did." Rose slowly answered. "So?"

"So? What do you mean so? So why are you holding hands? How could you let him kiss you?" Lily was gesturing wildly at their entwined fingers and swollen lips.

"Lily this is none –" James started to yell, but Rose held up her other hand to him.

"No James. They deserve an explaination." She said calmly. "Here it is: Why am I holding his hand? Because it feels good. How could I let him kiss me? Because it feels DAMN good. What do I mean by all this? I, Rose Weasley, love my favorite cousin James Sirius Potter, and we, as a couple, no longer care what you think. And if you were at all a caring family, then you'd just be happy that we found each other and know how to make each other happy, rather than harp about it all the time and try to break us up."

Lily gaped in shock. Al looked chagrined. Louis clapped.

Rose and James turned to him incredulously as Al and Lily scowled.

"Finally, you two said it. I've been sick of these two always nagging the whole family about how wrong it is for you two to be so close. Everyone told them to shut up but they never did. I'm so glad you're not taking their advice anymore Rose, it was getting to be painful listening to them crow about how they successfully stopped the scandal of the century. But NO ONE cared. Honestly, Uncle Ron even said that he'd be glad that it was his nephew so that he could trust him to take care of his little girl. Kudos to you two." Louis gave James a slap on the back, winked at Rose and then turned and walked out the door.

Rose and James didn't even bother to say anything more to Al and Lily. They both reached out their free hands, shoved Al and Lily out of their way, and walked together after Louis out of the classroom.

"So, should I go tell Uncle Ron that he can stop worrying, cuz his favorite nephew will take care of his little girl?" James drolled as he raised Rose's hand to his lips for a kiss.

A tingle raced up Rose's arm from the moment his lips touched her skin and zinged through her whole body. She looked up at James through her lashes and bit her bottom lip. His eyes zeroed in on her teeth digging into her still swollen lips.

"I've got a better idea. Let's go see if we can demonstrate how tempting the Tango is to horny teenagers in our common room."

James groaned and tugged her quickly into his arms for a sound kiss.

The common room can wait. They were going to demonstrate in the hallway first.

THE END :)

* * *

**AN: So the Yule ball. I decided that they would bring back the Tri-wizard Tournament eventually. And if they followed the timeline set from Harry's life, then it would happen again if Harry was 42. (Every 4 years since he was 14). And if Harry was 37 when Albus and Rose were 11 and going off to Hogwarts (19 years after his 18th birthday). Then they are 16 when he's 42. James doesn't seem to have a concrete age. So I'm making him 18 (born in November – so still in 7****th**** year since you have to turn 17 prior to starting your 7****th**** year in September).**

**Hope you enjoyed this story. I've always loved James and Rose together for some reason and I just couldn't resist writing this. Please read and review and tell me what you thought. **


End file.
